Having anxiety about taking my toddler on the plane!

[Alexsandra]

Well I brought headphones for my kids but my then 13 month old wanted noting to do with them and wanted to watch his movie in peace. I just put the movie on low volume and with the hum of the engine, it bothered no one. I still think a happy baby calmly watching a show that is playing softly is much better than a screaming crying one. Sometimes as a parent you have to improvise. We also fly early in the day and avoid night flights. Flying with young children is not easy but I have learnt that the passengers around us are happier when the child is happy! I travel to Asia and Europe all the time for work and my mom worked for an airline for 25 years. Trust me, the air stewardesses wil not complain if your kid is sitting quietly with your I-pad playing on low!

 

[maxiesmom]

Well I brought headphones for my kids but my then 13 month old wanted noting to do with them and wanted to watch his movie in peace. I just put the movie on low volume and with the hum of the engine, it bothered no one. I still think a happy baby calmly watching a show that is playing softly is much better than a screaming crying one. Sometimes as a parent you have to improvise. We also fly early in the day and avoid night flights. Flying with young children is not easy but I have learnt that the passengers around us are happier when the child is happy! I travel to Asia and Europe all the time for work and my mom worked for an airline for 25 years. Trust me, the air stewardesses wil not complain if your kid is sitting quietly with your I-pad playing on low!

But if another flyer complains, you will be made to turn the volume off. No question. Why not start as you mean to go? That means following the rules which is no volume unless you use headphones. Being mid flight and then having to explain to your child why they all of a sudden can't watch and listen to their video would be a nightmare!

Keep in mind too that you can only use electronics when you are allowed to. If you have a relatively short flight that can be a good chunk of the time. You need other ways to keep your child occupied besides something electronic. Kids don't have to have a movie or handheld game to make them happy.

As a parent it is your job to keep your children happy, following the rules set by the airline. If a person can't manage that, then maybe they need to rethink flying. *We all know that kids can start out happy and have a meltdown 10 seconds later. Some stuff you can't help. But when you know what the rules are ahead of time, there really is no excuse for thinking they don't apply to you. If your child simply won't use headphones then you should come up with different ways to keep them occupied ahead of time. Not hope that you can get away without following the rules.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Well I brought headphones for my kids but my then 13 month old wanted noting to do with them and wanted to watch his movie in peace. I just put the movie on low volume and with the hum of the engine, it bothered no one. I still think a happy baby calmly watching a show that is playing softly is much better than a screaming crying one. Sometimes as a parent you have to improvise. We also fly early in the day and avoid night flights. Flying with young children is not easy but I have learnt that the passengers around us are happier when the child is happy! I travel to Asia and Europe all the time for work and my mom worked for an airline for 25 years. Trust me, the air stewardesses wil not complain if your kid is sitting quietly with your I-pad playing on low!

They are flight attendants, not stewardesses.

You may think no PAX were bothered by your video, you are wrong. A lot of people don't want to confront rude PAX and will suffer in silence. Trust me, if sometime complains to a FA about the noise of your video, they will ask you to use headphones or turn off the sound. Please be a considerate flyer.

 

[kamik86]

One thing if your child does start crying or acting up don't spend the entire rest of the flight talking over the child every two seconds. Its more annoying then the crying child. By all means try to comfort them but if your just going to yell "Please stop crying" or "shush" don't bother.

 

[aubriee]

But if another flyer complains, you will be made to turn the volume off. No question. Why not start as you mean to go? That means following the rules which is no volume unless you use headphones. Being mid flight and then having to explain to your child why they all of a sudden can't watch and listen to their video would be a nightmare!

Keep in mind too that you can only use electronics when you are allowed to. If you have a relatively short flight that can be a good chunk of the time. You need other ways to keep your child occupied besides something electronic. Kids don't have to have a movie or handheld game to make them happy.

As a parent it is your job to keep your children happy, following the rules set by the airline. If a person can't manage that, then maybe they need to rethink flying. *We all know that kids can start out happy and have a meltdown 10 seconds later. Some stuff you can't help. But when you know what the rules are ahead of time, there really is no excuse for thinking they don't apply to you. If your child simply won't use headphones then you should come up with different ways to keep them occupied ahead of time. Not hope that you can get away without following the rules.

I agree! I was one of those passengers who complained about a kid's DVD player on a flight last Dec. I hate flying anyway and usually try to go to sleep as soon as I can, after take off. The kid behind me was listening to some beeping, clapping, honking DVD. Not sure what it was, but it was driving me bonkers. I gave the parents the stink eye a couple of times, then politely asked them to cut it off, then finally called a FA to handle it. The mom tried to say they had it set on low. Excuse me, but if I can hear it in the seat ahead of you, it is too loud. The FA told her they had to use headphones for all electronic equipment or it had to be cut off. Guess what, the mom found something else to occupy the kid and we all had a fairly quiet flight and the kid survived without disturbing everyone on the plane. The person sitting next to me thanked me and said that thing was getting on his last nerve too and he couldn't believe some parents thought it was OK to play a DVD without headphones for their kid, as no one else wants to hear those things for two hours.

 

[AlixaLock]

I have a four year old and I've been flying with her extensively (Fl, CA, Europe, the Caribbean) and I kind of see both sides of this. But I have to say this to the original poster ...

You will be fine. You won't end up like those people on the news who get kicked off planes and miss their Disney vacation. You will not have a particularly "good" time on the plane, but you will survive.

No one expects your toddler to be perfect. If she kicks a seat quietly correct her, apologize and make sure it doesn't happen again. End of story. One of my most valuable tips, I've taught mine to sit like a pretzel, legs crossed or folded on the plane. But it didn't happened overnight.

Not to beat a dead horse, but you need headphones. They have child-safe ones and they are a must. Why should a child not have to follow the same rules as everyone else? If she pulls them out and the sound blares for a second, apologize and fix it. End of story. If people glare at you for every little mistake there is nothing you can do and you just move on. Mine loves the head phones for about an hour and then takes them off. But, because we've been enforcing the rules, basically since birth, she know that means no sound whatsoever. There are some great apps, even for a little ones that don't require sound. The color apps are a god-send and you spend less time fishing crayons off the floor.

We're living in a society. No one gets to sit on a plane in perfect silence never being disturbed. At the same time, we all can expect a parent to occupy their child and comply with the rules....

 

[kt_mom]

Well I don't want to listen to the guy behind me on the plane snoring. Does that mean he shouldn't get to sleep? It's annoying and he should be considerate so no sleeping for him.

When did we become so engrossed in our little worlds that we can't tolerate anything around us that doesn't suit us? We're talking a couple of hours and I don't think anyone has suggested that its okay to play full blast volume or that children old enough to understand and follow directions to sit still and be quiet should be allowed to not use headphones.

I plan to bring lots of different things to help occupy my toddler. If those don't last then we'll try a video. I know he's not going to wear headphones so I'll try with no volume at all first, and if that works then wonderful. But if or when it doesn't would you prefer me to let him fuss or be subjected to the muffled sounds of Toy Story? I'll be sure to let those around me know that the wonderful experts on the dis have said that I should follow the rules and just let him fuss because its extremely inconsiderate of me to allow him any volume.

 

[Sparkly]

You're not the only ones on the flight; why should I have to listen to Toy Story the whole way there? What happened to having respect and courtesy for other passengers?

 

[AlixaLock]

I plan to bring lots of different things to help occupy my toddler. If those don't last then we'll try a video. I know he's not going to wear headphones so I'll try with no volume at all first, and if that works then wonderful. But if or when it doesn't would you prefer me to let him fuss or be subjected to the muffled sounds of Toy Story? I'll be sure to let those around me know that the wonderful experts on the dis have said that I should follow the rules and just let him fuss because its extremely inconsiderate of me to allow him any volume.

I don't fully agree with this, but I do see your point. If it comes down to a fussy child or one watching a video on low volume, I think most passengers would choose the low volume. And, honestly, as a parent on a flight to Florida, I would never even notice. Further, I certainly would appreciate and sympathize with a parent who is trying to make a tricky situation work. I also would be pretty appalled if someone complained to a Flight Attendant under these circumstances.

I guess I wonder why it has to come down to those two choices: a) listen to the movie on low volume or b) be fussy? Assuming that we aren't talking about a kid with major ear pain or who is sick or other extenuating circumstances, why wouldn't they already know before they even got on the plane that fussy isn't an option and that we follow the rules at home, on planes, in restaurants .... wherever.

 

[maxiesmom]

I plan to bring lots of different things to help occupy my toddler. If those don't last then we'll try a video. I know he's not going to wear headphones so I'll try with no volume at all first, and if that works then wonderful. But if or when it doesn't would you prefer me to let him fuss or be subjected to the muffled sounds of Toy Story? I'll be sure to let those around me know that the wonderful experts on the dis have said that I should follow the rules and just let him fuss because its extremely inconsiderate of me to allow him any volume.

An electronic toy can not be the only thing on the face of the earth that will entertain your child. I know it is easy--plug something in and instant child occupier. But your child must be interested and entertained by other things. Bring those sorts of toys along.

As stated before, airlines have a policy of using headphones with electronic equipment. You may not have a choice between headphones or no headphones with the volume on. What would you do then? Best to find what will occupy your child that doesn't include noise now, if they won't wear headphones, before having your child become upset mid-air. Be proactive and there won't be a problem.

 

[kt_mom]

I don't fully agree with this, but I do see your point. If it comes down to a fussy child or one watching a video on low volume, I think most passengers would choose the low volume. And, honestly, as a parent on a flight to Florida, I would never even notice. Further, I certainly would appreciate and sympathize with a parent who is trying to make a tricky situation work. I also would be pretty appalled if someone complained to a Flight Attendant under these circumstances.

I guess I wonder why it has to come down to those two choices: a) listen to the movie on low volume or b) be fussy? Assuming that we aren't talking about a kid with major ear pain or who is sick or other extenuating circumstances, why wouldn't they already know before they even got on the plane that fussy isn't an option and that we follow the rules at home, on planes, in restaurants .... wherever.

It doesn't, no one ever said it did. I know my plan, like I said, is to bring some other quiet things to try first. But my kid is two. I can talk til I'm blue in the face about not being fussy but I'd be wasting my breath. Now my 9 year old will bring her headphones for her ipod and you'll never know she's there.

 

[kt_mom]

An electronic toy can not be the only thing on the face of the earth that will entertain your child. I know it is easy--plug something in and instant child occupier. But your child must be interested and entertained by other things. Bring those sorts of toys along.

As stated before, airlines have a policy of using headphones with electronic equipment. You may not have a choice between headphones or no headphones with the volume on. What would you do then? Best to find what will occupy your child that doesn't include noise now, if they won't wear headphones, before having your child become upset mid-air. Be proactive and there won't be a problem.

He has lots of other things he enjoys. He loves to push his big trucks around the house and ride his little ride on toy. He also loves to play with his singing elmo thing his sister gave him or his basketball goal. Oh and right now he's all about his sisters old zhu zhu pets. You want to talk about annoying, those will drive you nuts. But he's two, everything he plays with either involves motion or noise. He has a very short attention span for anything else, except a video. He'll sit quietly for a video for a good 30 or 45 minutes. And often he'll even watch it with no volume so that's our plan. But he will not wear headphones. So we're going to do the best we can and try not to bother those around us.

 

[anc876]

I've flown frequently with DS2 since he was 3 months old. For him, new toys never entertained him that well and ended up on the floor anyway. He was more interested in the overhead lights, window shades, plastic cups, etc. Snacks and treats are always helpful during a flight, even a brief one.

Now that he's a little older, our portable DVD player really helps keep him entertained for small blocks of time. We tried headphones when he was younger, but he would rather play with them than use them. We have always had his DVD player low enough so that we can barely hear it or not hear it at all. We've never had a problem and were never told otherwise. I think he's at an age now where he would enjoy using headphones and hearing it more.

Also, keep in mind that many planes do not have changing tables in the lavatories.

 

[AlixaLock]

So we're going to do the best we can and try not to bother those around us.

And, in the end, that's really all any of us can do, right? Have a great trip!

 

[DarthMama]

Never underestimate the power of stickers! I travelled with my (then) 2 year old on a 4 hour flight, and he spent 3 of those hours playing with stickers. I walked off the plane with stickers all over me and all over him, but he was happy and so was everyone else on the flight.

 

[snoopy5386]

We have also traveled many times with a DVD player and no headphones. I keep the volume super low so that I can barely hear it sitting next to her. There is so much white noise on a plane no one else can hear it, don't worry.

 

[maxiesmom]

We have also traveled many times with a DVD player and no headphones. I keep the volume super low so that I can barely hear it sitting next to her. There is so much white noise on a plane no one else can hear it, don't worry.

Banking on another passenger not being offended by the noise is just not a good way to travel. All it takes is one complaint, and you will be told to either use headphones or shut the volume off. I certainly wouldn't assure someone that they will be fine, when they might not be. We have no way of knowing that ahead of time.

Always have a back up plan to the dvd player, just in case.

I want to add too that I always have my headphones on when we are finally allowed to use electronics, so the odds of my being bothered by someone's child is slim. However it is always best to err on the side of caution, and believe the airlines when they tell you you have to use headphones along with your electronics. Otherwise you are taking a chance that may not work out too well.

 

[onceagain1]

Was wondering if people like using the built in tvs (in the seats) for their kids, using the headphones with them. Or is there really not enough kid tv options, and hence bringing your own dvd player or ipad preferable.

 

[AlixaLock]

Was wondering if people like using the built in tvs (in the seats) for their kids, using the headphones with them. Or is there really not enough kid tv options, and hence bringing your own dvd player or ipad preferable.

When they're available, I love the in-seat entertainment. They always have quite a few kids options. Even better, when they have DirecTV! Disney Junior and you're done! LOL! Last Flight, my 4 year old watched the Smurfs twice and I actually read a book! It's also great, because the options are often different then whatever I've loaded on the iPad and sometime it's more interesting.

I would never rely on it though, as I have seen it not work properly on a few occasions and DirecTV doesn't work once you are out over the water and "outside" the US. Best part is that it's available until the minute you get off the plane, usually, whereas electronics need to be powered down. That last half an hour of any flight is always my least favorite, unless we have the in-seat entertainment option.

 

[onceagain1]

When they're available, I love the in-seat entertainment. They always have quite a few kids options. Even better, when they have DirecTV! Disney Junior and you're done! LOL! Last Flight, my 4 year old watched the Smurfs twice and I actually read a book! It's also great, because the options are often different then whatever I've loaded on the iPad and sometime it's more interesting.

I would never rely on it though, as I have seen it not work properly on a few occasions and DirecTV doesn't work once you are out over the water and "outside" the US. Best part is that it's available until the minute you get off the plane, usually, whereas electronics need to be powered down. That last half an hour of any flight is always my least favorite, unless we have the in-seat entertainment option.

We're flying Delta airlines and I see mention of onboard tv but I'm not sure if its general info for delta, not saying that all delta flights have them. Thoughts?